[Untitled until someone helps me out and comes up with something fitting]

He stepped outside and breathed in, appreciating the cold rush of air. The last rays of the sun were vanishing into the distance, and stars were shyly emerging into the clear sky. With his location firmly fixed his mind , he started to run. Slowly at first, and then as his feet left the concrete of the road and met with the grass instead he lengthened his stride. He smiled inwardly as he spotted the hedge. There was a gate just to the left, fairly high, and he angled for that. His mind quickly made a few calculations, his step changed just slightly, and he lifted off. His foot planted solidly on the top slat and pushed him over, his momentum stopping him from pitching over. As he landed on the other side and kept running, he heard a foot connect with the gate and then feet landing heavily behind him. He didn’t bother to look behind; he could outrun anyone here, there was no need to see who was trying to follow. He thrust the momentary curiosity away from him - people had learned quickly that he didn’t need or desire anyone’s company except his own - and picked up the pace just a little bit. Smugness briefly surfaced when he heard the following footsteps fade away. He blotted everything out and enjoyed the wind in his hair, the feeling of total freedom.

A breath beside him almost pulled him to a halt. There was a girl running alongside him, her bare feet making no sound on the earth below. She glanced at him and nodded in acknowledgement before facing forward again, seemingly content to go wherever he ran.

He examined her out of the corner of his eye. He was sure he’d never seen her before, but she had a familiar feel to her, as if she was someone out of a long-forgotten memory, or another life. Her jet hair streamed out behind her, liquid black against a navy sky. She was dressed in black as well, but oddly enough he couldn’t focus on the garments themselves; his eyes slid away and fixed on a point in the landscape every time he tried. Shrugging mentally, he carried on running. When they stopped, he’d ask her. Until then, he was running.

Eventually they reached the woods.

Without any hesitation he plunged past the tree-line, not waiting to see of the mystery girl would follow. Here, it was as dark as pitch, and he doubted he’d be able to see her anyway. He couldn’t see the way, but he had been here so many times in daylight he didn’t need his eyes. The ground sloped upwards, and he altered accordingly, thrusting his torso forward, level with the incline. Something soft brushed against his face, and he flinched involuntarily even as he realised it must be the girl’s hair.

The ground stopped without him noticing and he would have plunged over the edge had she not been waiting for him. Grabbing his belt, she threw him backwards, away from a fall into a dry riverbed. He frowned; this wasn’t the way he’d wanted to come, could he have gone wrong somewhere? No, not possible. He knew the way, had never gotten lost yet. He looked towards her, ready to ask, but she grinned and swung over the edge. He peered over cautiously; she was climbing down nimbly, leaping from hold to hold with grace. From the trees on the bank below emerged a shape as deeply black as her hair, waiting for her.

Curiosity won, and he followed her down, wondering even while he told himself not to; it would probably turn out to be a dream.

The shadow at the bottom solidified into a great black wolf as he approached, its brilliant green eyes locking with his and holding them too intently for a normal wolf. With an effort he pulled his gaze away and stared at the girl, wanting to ask but unsure if he wanted the answer. After all, it was probably a dream.

She was already on her feet and uncomfortably close, yellow eyes burning. She reached around him and pressed her hands to his back. Her touch was icy; it burned through his shirt to his skin, and he wanted nothing more than to pull away and run away from the dream that was just a little too real, but he stood his ground. He wasn’t weak, he’d endured worse.

Her hands withdrew, but he didn’t notice immediately. Something was happening to his eyes; images were appearing, little things that weren’t there but fit onto his surroundings perfectly. Little microscopic things that he could somehow see every detail of; they glowed, their increasing number and light blocking out the environment. He shook his head and blinked furiously, trying to clear them, but they were there still, crowding into his vision. He pressed his hands hard against his eyes, but still no respite. Suddenly, her cool hand was there, pulling his hands away and covering his eyes instead. Slowly, the images started fading. When her hand withdrew he opened his eyes and nearly started panicking again; they weren’t all gone. A few green flecks moved across her eyes, while splinters of yellow danced across the eyes of the wolf, and in the distance he could see them sparkling on the surface of the river that had long abandoned this course.

Where the images were most abundant was on the girls back; they outlined a pair of wings etched onto the skin that stretched all the way to her ankles. He stared at her, unable to decide whether he was scared, amazed or still dreaming. She grinned at him again, and turning, sprinted down the dry bed. The wolf rose and followed her, and after a moments hesitation, he also started to run.

It didn’t take him long to catch up with her; when he was back alongside her she started to laugh, and increased the pace. He was struggling to keep up, but oddly, he didn’t feel tired, just out of practice. He was fairly sure he’d run this fast before, maybe faster, but he hadn’t done so for a very long time. The memory eluded him, and once again he happily lost himself in the elation of the run.

When they reached the river they skidded to a halt, staring down into the inky depths. It wasn’t at it’s full potential, but it was still deep and fast-flowing; none of them were willing to enter.

The girl turned and grinned at him, and for the first time, spoke.

‘Run like you’ve never run before. Lengthen your stride, step between stars and worlds, and truly fly. Learn what it is to truly be free.’

The marks on her back flared, and in the space of a heartbeat a huge pair of leathery wings had appeared.

He felt his own back tingle and start to fall cold again, as if she was running those deathly fingers along it. With a massive rip as his shirt was pulled off, a set of wings exploded from his shoulders. She grinned wolfishly again.

‘Fly with me.’ She whispered, and ran, her feet only skimming the surface of the river. Without question, he followed, dancing across the surface, great wings flung out behind him, ready to take him up.

* * *

He woke with a start. Just a dream? His mind rejected that immediately; his back itched, and he didn’t need his glasses this morning, despite seeing flickers from the corners of his eyes every so often. Unsettled, he reached for a shirt, only to find it in tatters. He swore; it was his last good shirt, and he couldn’t afford another one. A knock on the door drew his attention to something hung on the doorknob; a shirt, the same material as the girls clothes had been. He shrugged and pulled it on, yelling through the door to whoever the knocker was that yes, he KNEW it was lecture soon, thank you very much. He briefly debated whether or not to go; would he be able to focus with last night so fresh in his mind? Yes, he needed something to distract and entertain him.

He walked into the space and stopped in shock. Stood with her back to him, talking to someone a few seats up from her, was a girl with a glowing pair of wings shining through her shirt. No doubt feeling his eyes boring holes in the back of her head, the girl glanced over shoulder. Her golden eyes caught his, and she grinned wolfishly.